Hopeful whale watchers are flocking to the Mexican
lagoons and the Pacific Coast from far and wide to see the whales.
We've heard from our official observers at points marked by yellow
arrows on this globe. Observers at the lagoons (#2 and #3) are
seeing fewer whales than last year. Is that also true at the Los
Angeles observation post (#5)? See the answer at
a glance on this line
graph.

The
big question is: Where are the gray whales? Have more whales stayed
in and around the Bering Sea, taking advantage of the smaller-than-usual
ice pack to spend more time feeding? Is the migration running late?
Gray whales are still swimming south, but changes are afoot.
What stories came from the observation posts? Here's the
news!>>

The
big news this week is from Los Angeles, where whales have been passing
in both directions — south and north. People were watching
for what's called the "turnaround" date. The turnaround is
the first date on which northbound whales outnumber southbound whales.
This
year's turnaround
has happened!